NIKE AIR YEEZY 3

The Nike Air Yeezy is an official sneaker collaboration project between shoemaker NIKE and American rapper Kanye West.

The Nike Air Yeezy, named for Kanye West’s “Yeezy” nickname, was developed from 2007 to 2009 by rapper Kanye West and Nike Creative Director Mark Smith. The design process for the Nike Air Yeezy was long and features dozens of sample colorways and silhouettes. The early prototype of the Air Yeezy had many features that greatly differ from the release version of the shoe.

DESIGN PROCESS

NIKE AIR YEEZY 1

After the long sampling process, three colorways of the Nike Air Yeezy were chosen for public release; a “Zen Grey” colorway that released on April 1, 2009 and was the colorway that was created after almost equal input from Smith and West, a “Black/Pink” colorway (sometimes referred to as the “Blink” colorway) which was more the brainchild of Mark Smith and released on May 2, 2009, and finally a “Net” colorway that reflected more of Kanye West’s design tastes and released on June 1, 2009. Each colorway had a suggested retail price of $215 and sold out almost immediately.

MORE DESIGNS?

Anticipation around the release of the Nike Air Yeezy 2 started after a Complex Magazine interview with Mark Smith and Kanye West about designing the Nike Air Yeezy, wherein Kanye stated that there were several designs left over from the Air Yeezy design process that could eventually become the Nike Air Yeezy 2. Following a series of high-profile teases of the shoe Nike announced the Air Yeezy II sneaker on May 29, 2012.

ADIDAS

Kanye is currently with Adidas where he is collaborating with the team to come up with yet another piece of art. It's set to be displayed sometime in November.